So, the series of paintings “Gratitude to Mother” by artist Rừng (Nguyễn Tuấn Khanh) has found a new home in the collection of Mr. Nguyễn Chí Sơn (Phan Rang – Tháp Chàm, Ninh Thuận). The woman, the mother, that created realm… has temporarily completed a journey of over ten years:
“The times of sheltering have passed,
The noble lady finally returns to her peaceful home” – Kiều.
The titles of the paintings depict the cycle of motherhood, which is also the cycle of life and rebirth, in the following order: 1) Youthful Mother; 2) Dreamy Mother; 3) Lover Mother; 4) Homemaker Mother; 5) Expectant Mother; 6) Nurturing Mother; and 7) Spring Garden Mother. This series has been exhibited several times. The first exhibition was at the Người Việt newspaper office (Westminster, California, USA), from August 1 to 2, 2009. The second was at the Tự Do Art Gallery (Ho Chi Minh City), from September 23 to October 4, 2009, under the new title “Gratitude to Woman.” Most recently, it was exhibited at the Ngọc Trân Art Gallery (Ninh Thuận), from May 10 to June 10, 2019, returning to its original name “Gratitude to Mother.”
In his monograph “Twenty Years of Southern Vietnamese Painting” (1954-1975), researcher Huỳnh Hữu Ủy noted: “Each artist in the Young Vietnamese Artists Association has their own world, their own style, with unique lines and colors. With artist Rừng, before 1975, his intense images often confronted viewers with primal roots, deeply embedded in the earth’s carnal desires, sprouting lush, metaphysical branches. Rừng admired Salvador Dalí and Marc Chagall; his art is imbued with the poetic and bizarre qualities he gleaned from these masters, but refined through a distinctly Vietnamese lens.” The core spirit of Salvador Dalí and Marc Chagall is existential-surrealist philosophy, where images often carry symbolic value. Rừng embodies this clearly.
LÊ KIM MỸ – Weaving. Silk. 45x65cm
RỪNG – Dreamy Mother. 2009. Mixed media. 140x180cm
Speaking of this earlier period, Rừng said: “For a long time, I believed that painting and literature should be full of combativeness or protest – I liked to write and paint about concrete subjects, not vague or rambling ones. From the early 1990s, while my literature continued on its old path, I wanted my paintings to focus solely on pure beauty, leading me to a different approach.” His series “Wandering Dreams”: “Light and Shadow” (1993), “In the Ethereal Realm” (1999) marked this shift, but it was “Gratitude to Mother” that truly overflowed with symbolic value.
“Seven paintings depict the seven stages of motherhood. It starts with Youthful Mother, full of vitality, then Dreamy Mother, soaring among stars, and Lover Mother, with love as pure as lotus scent. Then, the girl leaves her innocence to become a Homemaker Mother, embracing the role of mother: Expectant Mother. She endures labor pains to nourish her children: Nurturing Mother. The seventh painting celebrates mothers in the eternal garden of motherhood: Spring Garden Mother,” researcher Đặng Phú Phong analyzed the symbolism. Rừng fully agreed with this interpretation.
According to J.E. Cirlot’s “Dictionary of Symbols,” the number 7 symbolizes perfect order, a complete cycle. It represents the union of three and four, thus endowed with exceptional value. It corresponds to the seven directions of space (the six dimensions of existence plus the center), the seven-note musical scale, the seven colors, and the seven planets, as well as the deities associated with these planets. It also symbolizes suffering and rebirth.
RỪNG – Youthful Mother. 2009. Mixed media. 125x185cm
RỪNG – Expectant Mother. 2009. Mixed media. 125x185cm
RỪNG – Homemaker Mother. 2009. Mixed media. 200x140cm
When asked why he painted mothers nude, Rừng joked: “Only by being nude can one become a mother; fully clothed, how could one become a mother?” However, this statement, upon reflection, is direct and true to its essence. He added: “Firstly, it’s due to the natural beauty of the human body. Humans are not born with clothes. We are born with the skin and flesh of the earth. This naked body is a true value… The aesthetic of fine arts aims to achieve the absolute beauty of the human body, which is why artists often paint nudes (especially in classical times). A body without clothes cannot deceive. It honestly displays the true beauty given by creation. That’s why I painted nude women in this series. I wanted to paint the human body, not their clothes.”
Rừng has pursued nude art since the early 1960s. After 1975, he was among the very few to hold a nude art exhibition in Vietnam, in 1987, titled “New Dawn,” at the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association. “In the 1980s, Rừng created many nude paintings. His depictions of women were passionate, poetic, and full of life. Works like ‘Mother Earth,’ ‘New Dawn,’ ‘Nude with Lotus,’ ‘Nude with Moon,’ ‘Nude with Autumn’… defined Rừng’s style of nude art. But these nudes were set alongside pieces like ‘Offering Fire,’ ‘War and Me,’ ‘Hamlet,’ ‘Tree of Tears,’ ‘Sky Eyes’… They represented the beauty Rừng saw on the other side of a burning consciousness in a life torn by complex relationships,” said artist Hồ Tịnh Tình.
RỪNG – Nurturing Mother. 2009. Mixed media. 140x180cm
RỪNG – Lover Mother. 2009. Mixed media. 140x200cm
Hồ Tịnh Tình added: “Now, everything is different. Rừng has elevated the image of the nude woman into the radiant light of the rainbow, amidst a universe full of stars, flowers, and lush greenery, cloaked in colors akin to religious hues. Rừng is a devotee kneeling before the sacred yoni, experiencing the mystical revelation of love, life, and divine creation. The ‘Gratitude to Mother’ exhibition is thus a splendid feast of colors, a ceremony honoring the primal source, a source Rừng drinks deeply like intoxicating wine with profound admiration. Carnal desire has transformed into potent wine, crystallized into fruits, and sublimated into sacred love. The women in Rừng’s eyes journey from youth, dreams, and love to procreation, nurturing, and perfection in beauty, truth, and goodness.”
Art critic Nguyên Hưng remarked: “Rừng has a prolific work ethic. He paints extensively, using all available mediums – watercolor on paper, oil on cardboard, oil on canvas, collage, lacquer… unaffected by material constraints. His art seeks to express understanding based on subjective experiences, generally empirical knowledge… This is evident in his direct statements and reflected clearly in his works. Rừng has assimilated all forms of modern Western artistic expression – from Impressionism, Fauvism, Symbolism, Expressionism, to Surrealism and Abstract – to express himself in all his inner turbulence. This is functional art, art of commitment. In this respect, Rừng has made significant contributions. He is the most fervently committed and sincere artist among those who matured in Southern Vietnam before 1975.”
A brief biography of artist Rừng
His full name is Nguyễn Tuấn Khanh, originally from Phú Thọ, born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 1941. He established his career in Saigon before 1975 and settled in the United States in the 1990s. Since then, he has traveled between the two countries, holding alternating exhibitions. With over 2,000 works and more than 30 solo exhibitions, Rừng is a member of the Young Vietnamese Artists Association (before 1975) and the Vietnam Fine Arts Association (after 1975). His first solo exhibition, “Spring Gallery,” held in Saigon, left a strong impression on viewers and collectors. He also made his mark in prose (under the pen name Kinh Dương Vương) and poetry (under the pen names Dung Nham and Cỏ Ðồng).
Lý Đợi
